Priorities For The New UK Government: Decarbonising The Power System

A new government has been in power in Westminster since July. In our Policy & Practice miniseries, Priorities for the new UK Government, we will explore key issues on which the government is—or ought to be—focusing its attention.

In this event, jointly hosted with the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources, we will be looking at the Government's plans for energy sector decarbonization.

Decarbonising the power sector and turning the UK into a Clean Energy Superpower have been core to Labour’s climate and growth strategies. Yet, critics raise concerns about grid security and higher electricity prices, which risk both alienating voters and jeopardising other parts of the Government’s Net Zero strategy that rely on electrification (e.g., transport and heat). Our panel of experts will discuss the Government’s plans, the trade-offs, the winners, the losers, and the political implications. 

Meet the speakers

James Richardson is Director of Analysis and Chief Economist of the Climate Change Committee. He was previously Chief Economist at the National Infrastructure Commission where he oversaw the UK’s first ever National Infrastructure Assessment and studies including managing the risk of drought, the role of economic regulators, and engineered greenhouse gas removals. 

Rebecca Beresford is the Director of Markets at the National Energy System Operator. She previously was the Director of Net Zero Strategy & Policy at EDF (UK). She has also held several other key roles within EDF, covering retail market policy & regulation, smart metering, sustainability, and generation strategy. 

Jess Ralston is the Head of Energy for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, which provides independent analysis on decarbonisation. Leading the Unit’s Energy Programme, her work focuses on net zero, power, heat and buildings decarbonisation in the UK. Prior to this, she worked as a Policy and Commercial Analyst for Ecuity Consulting LLP, primarily working on energy efficiency, low carbon heating and innovation. 

Arthur Downing  is a Strategy Director at Octopus Energy. Before that, he was a Principal at the Boston Consulting Group, focusing on electricity network strategy, operations and regulation. Before that he was Director of Strategy and Regulations at National Gas Transmission and worked at National Grid. Arthur is writing a book on the history of the energy system in Britain and has a blog on the topic.

Chair: Prof. Jim Watson is the Director of the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources and a Professor of Energy Policy at the Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources.  

This event will be recorded and the video will be uploaded to our YouTube channel.

You can subscribe to our YouTube channel to be alerted when the recording is uploaded.

Accessibility

• The corridor outside the lecture theatre(s) is sufficiently wide enough (150cm+) to allow wheelchair users to pass.
• There is step free access into the lecture theatre(s).
• The door opening width(s) is/are 75cm+ for the lecture theatre(s).
• There are designated spaces for wheelchair users within the lecture theatre(s), located at the back.
• There is level access to the designated seating from an entrance.
• There is space for an assistance dog.
• There is a hearing assistance system for the lecture theatre(s).
• There is not a visual fire alarm beacon in the lecture theatre(s).

For more accessiblity info and an access guide please visit Accessable 

This seminar is co-organised by UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources.
Our vision is a sustainable, resilient and equitable net-zero future.